The governor of Mexico's Sinaloa state, who has been accused by ‌the U.S. of aiding one of the country's most powerful drug cartels, said on Friday he would step down temporarily as a local investigation into the charges proceeds.

In televised remarks late Friday, Ruben Rocha said he was innocent and left his ​post with a "clean conscience." He criticized the U.S. charges against him as an attack on ​the ruling political movement to which he belongs.

Rocha is of the same Morena party ⁠as President Claudia Sheinbaum, making the U.S. indictment announced on Wednesday a thorny issue for the Mexican leader. ​Rocha is also a long-time ally of Sheinbaum's predecessor and mentor, former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Alongside Rocha, ​the indictment also charged a slew of other current and former Mexican officials for allegedly conspiring with the Sinaloa Cartel to import massive quantities of narcotics into the United States.

While corruption is a top concern for Mexicans, who are angry about ​perceived collusion between politicians and organized crime groups, there is also immense sensitivity in the country about ​U.S. interference, especially at a time when President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened U.S. military action against the cartels.

Sheinbaum has ‌vowed ⁠to defend Mexican sovereignty, demanding that the relationship with the economic and military superpower to the north be one of equals and not of subordination.

Rocha's decision to step aside came as the U.S. has been exerting increasing pressure on Mexico to step up efforts to root out corruption and official collusion with organized ​crime.

Sheinbaum said earlier that the ​U.S. extradition requests that ⁠accompanied the charges would have to be evaluated by Mexico and that "clear evidence" would be required for arrest warrants to be executed.

The U.S. embassy in Mexico ​City and the Sinaloa state government did not immediately respond to requests for ​comment.
Rocha remained defiant ⁠as he announced he was stepping aside.

"I can look at my people and my family in the eye because I have not betrayed them and I will never betray them, and I will demonstrate that firmly at ⁠the ​moment when the institutions of justice of our country require it," ​he said.

On Saturday, the Sinaloa Congress appointed Yeraldine Bonilla as the state's interim governor.

- Reuters